Sports news from Los Angeles and beyond

Remember when Shaq was the Big Venus de Milo?

Shaquille O’Neal left a memorable imprint on the NBA in his 19 seasons in the league, along with significant imprints on the bodies of those who tried to guard him in the post – at least in his prime.

But for a select group fans in New England before this season, Shaq’s most memorable moment may have come while he wasn’t moving a muscle, sitting in Harvard Square without uttering a word.

O’Neal tweeted one October afternoon that he would appear as a statue in Harvard Square and remain motionless for an hour so that fans could take photographs with him. In a move that separates him from the vast majority of high-profile athletes these days, he followed through on the promise.

Word was that he occasionally cracked a small smile after comments from the fans, though he remained statue-like and wordless. After a bit over an hour, he silently rose and walked slowly to a red van and drove off. Hard to imaging many other athletes doing something along those lines.